THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Good evening. Tonight, the home stretch, four days to go until Super Tuesday, four front-runners campaigning for the votes that will take one of them to the White House.

Here's where the race stands right now. For the Democrats, the latest Gallup daily poll gives Hillary Clinton a slight edge over Barack Obama. But a new FOX News/Opinion Dynamics poll has Senator Obama trailing by 10 points, quite a difference, but both polls represent significant gains for Senator Obama.

The Republicans have McCain way ahead. Gallup gives him a 15- point lead over Mitt Romney, 17 points in front of Mike Huckabee, while the FOX News poll shows an even wider McCain-Romney point spread, 28. We will talk about the contests coming up.

Also tonight, up close with Michelle Obama, stepping into the spotlight, speaking out for her husband.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHELLE OBAMA, WIFE OF SENATOR BARACK OBAMA: I believe that Barack is going to do well. I think that people in this country ready for a change in politics. And people have been drawn and continuously motivated by his message. And the more that they get to know him, the more that they understand the differences between he and his opponent, I want the story to be, you know, who is Barack and what is his vision?

And I don't want that to get lost in the contrasts that you naturally have to make in order to make that point. But I think this country is ready for the kind of leadership that he's -- he will offer.

And there's no one else in this race who can bring about a whole different view about who we are as a country and how the world sees us. That's just -- that's just a fact, in my view.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: Our exclusive interview with Michelle Obama ahead on 360.

We begin tonight with the biggest prize before the nomination, Super Tuesday, on the line, 24 states, 44 contests, and more than 2,700 delegates. Next week, millions of Americans will be casting their votes, and a lot can happen between now and then. On the heels of the final debate before Super Tuesday, Senators Obama and Clinton picked up where they left off, fighting over Iraq, health care, the economy, fighting for it all.

CNN's Candy Crowley reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CANDY CROWLEY, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Thursday night's lovefest in L.A. produced a kind of Friday-morning afterglow for the still smiling candidates.

But, in the subterranean campaign, the Clinton-Obama staffs got into it over this, an Obama mailer warning voters that Hillary Clinton's health care plan will force those who can't afford it to buy health insurance, basically the printed version of this:

SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D-IL), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: She believes that we have to force people who don't have health insurance to buy it.

CROWLEY: Though the flyer -- and this is a campaign, after all -- left out this part .

SEN. HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON (D-NY), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Contrary to the description that Barack just gave, we actually will make it affordable for everyone, because my plan lowers costs aggressively.

CROWLEY: In a conference call with reporters, the Clinton campaign dumped all over the Obama flyer, calling the picture of the troubled looking couple...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, AD)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The problem is, they don't get it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CROWLEY: ... reminiscent of a Republican-backed ad that all but destroyed Clinton's health care proposal in 1994.

Health care is one of those home-and-hearth issues that both campaigns know makes a difference in the voting booth. Neither is going to let this drop. She continue to argue his plan leaves people out.

H. CLINTON: I believe with all my heart that it is a moral right for people to have quality affordable health care.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

H. CLINTON: That is why I put forth a plan to cover everyone, because I would not know who to leave out. CROWLEY: The candidates are in search of whatever momentum they can find. Big game is a John Edwards endorsement.

SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D-IL), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: He and I shared, I think, a fundamental view that it is not enough just to change political parties in the White House, that we have got to bring about more fundamental change.

CROWLEY: And camp Clinton, with the former president in the lead, is putting the full-court press on Governor Bill Richardson, a Hispanic with considerable sway in the community. Richardson's office says no decision on whether he will endorse anyone, but, this Sunday, he will be bonding over the Super Bowl with -- bingo -- the former president and newly mellowed Bill Clinton, who, by the way, is feeling the post-debate love.

BILL CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: She was magnificent.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

B. CLINTON: And let me say this. Senator Obama was also very good.

CROWLEY (on camera): For all the history going on in this Democratic race, it is, in many ways, a conventional campaign. In the final days before the voting, always put your best foot forward.

Candy Crowley, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: We will get to the Republicans in just a moment.

but let's start with Obama and Clinton. Senator Obama picked up a big endorsement from "The Los Angeles Times" today. They also endorsed John McCain.

Let's talk about that, among many other things, with the best political team on television, CNN senior analyst and former presidential adviser David Gergen, CNN political analyst Amy Holmes, and CNN political contributor Donna Brazile.

David, at this point, I mean, does an endorsement from "The L.A. Times," does that really make much of a difference?

DAVID GERGEN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: It does in California. In the days of the Chandlers, when they owned "The L.A. Times," it was sort of the king. And it really made a huge difference. Today, it makes less, but it is still significant.

It was only a few days ago, of course, that "The New York Times" endorsed Hillary Clinton. So, for "The L.A. Times' to come back, it makes a big difference in California.

COOPER: Donna, we just heard now Obama is talking Hillary's health care plan, just as he did in the debate, basically saying that it's going to force people to buy insurance.

Is that a winning strategy? I mean, there are those who felt that she did better on health care during the debate. Is this a way for him to try to get back on the health care issue?

DONNA BRAZILE, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: You know, Senator Obama is facing an uphill struggle trying to close rank with Senator Clinton in the last closing days of this campaign.

It makes sense for him to point out the differences between his health care plan and Senator Clinton's health care plan, as well as the fact that he was opposed to the war from day one and she was not.

So, I think, in the closing days, you will see a lot of the mail hitting the mailboxes out there where Senator Obama will try to, you know, ratchet up the arguments and try to draw even larger contrasts with Senator Clinton.

COOPER: Amy, yesterday during the debate, both candidates made a point of complimenting John Edwards. And, today, Obama talked about they share a similar vision in pushing for change.

Does either candidate, you think, have a leg up on wooing Edwards' support? I mean, it would be hard to imagine Edwards endorsing Senator Clinton, after saying that she's the status quo candidate.

AMY HOLMES, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Yes. And he has underscored that he wants change. He repeats that word.

Boy, politicians are never so nice as when they want something. So, heaping this praise on Edwards clearly is not -- is not just to woo John Edwards to possibly one of their sides, but his voters. And, right now, it doesn't look like the voters are going one way or another. They seem pretty evenly divided.

So, Hillary and Barack are trying to go after those blue-collar voters that might be able to push them over the finishing line.

COOPER: David, we were talking about endorsements before. I should have also mentioned the liberal group MoveOn.org endorsed Obama. They have some, I guess, 3.2 million members.

And California -- the largest labor union in California also did as well. They have over 600,000 members. Obviously, those kinds of endorsements actually bring people out to campaign.

But Obama announced that they raised $32 million last month. In terms of strategy, what states does he concentrate on leading up to Super Tuesday?

GERGEN: Well, he has a somewhat different strategy than Hillary Clinton does.

And Hillary Clinton wants to concentrate both on the West Coast, in California, on the East Coast in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts. So, she's got leads in all of those states, with the possible exception of Connecticut. And, if she can sweep those big, that's where the big, rich delegations are.

But Obama has a different strategy. And that is, if he can win the interior states, places like Colorado, and then put that together with a serious showing in California, and picking up some delegates on the East Coast, then he be -- he can come out of the night -- he may lose more states, but he comes out of the night very competitive. And that's when the $30 million, as John King reported last night, becomes so important.

He's probably going to have as much as $20 million out of the $30 million left after Super Tuesday to spend on the primaries to come. And there is a view that, the longer this goes on, the more it favors him, that time is on his side.

What we have, Anderson, is very different. On the Republican side, we have McCain seeming to pull away from Romney. And, on the Democratic side, we have Hillary Clinton still very much the favorite, but Obama closing in on her. And the question is, how much can he close before Super Tuesday? Nobody knows the answer to that.

But can he keep coming at her? He has some momentum. As opposed to Romney, who is falling back, he seems to be coming forward against her. And that's what makes this fascinating.

COOPER: Donna, can -- can Obama chip away at the lead that Hillary Clinton has among Latinos?

BRAZILE: I think...

COOPER: And, if so, how?

BRAZILE: I think so.

Look, he left Ted Kennedy in California to make a direct appeal. Latino voters, like black voters and Democratic voters in general, love Ted Kennedy. So, I think he will be able to make up some ground with Latino voters.

The endorsement by the Service Employees International Union in California is also going to give Senator Obama a tremendous boost out there. Senator Clinton already has the support of the teachers union, the state county municipal workers union.

So, Obama will have an opportunity to have some more boots on the ground, people that can walk into those precincts and get people out to the polls on Tuesday.

So, while I think David was -- David is absolutely right, in terms of the electoral strategy, to try to pick up as many delegates in those five big states that will produce about 1,072 delegates, but Obama is looking in Idaho, for example, in Kansas, in Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona to score some important victories.

And let's not forget, there are two Southern states, Alabama and Georgia, that will also be very important to Senator Obama. And Senator Clinton is focusing on Arkansas, Tennessee, and Oklahoma. So, this is going to be a very interesting next -- the next four days will be very interesting, as we see these candidates crisscross the country, put enormous resources on the ground, as well as run these terrific air -- air campaigns.

COOPER: We are going to have more on the -- talking about the Republicans with Donna Brazile, David Gergen, Amy Holmes, in a moment.

Guys, stick around.

In the race for the White House, now, most of the cash, of course, goes to commercials. Here's the "Raw Data."

According to a new study by the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the candidates have spent about $107 million on television campaign ads so far. Out of total number, Democrats shelled out $57 million, Republicans about $50 million. And almost none of it was spent in Super Tuesday states.

Now, earlier, you heard what Barack Obama had to say.

Coming up, we are going to hear from his wife, our exclusive revealing interview with Michelle Obama is next.

Also tonight, the John McCain mutiny, why conservatives are threatening to jump ship if he gets the party's nomination.

That's when 360 continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Senator John McCain on the campaign trail today holding strong as the front-runner of the Republican Party right now, but Senator McCain faces stiff opposition from a number of leading conservatives. And his closest rival, Mitt Romney, is looking to capitalize on that leading up to Super Tuesday.

With the new battle plan, here's chief national correspondent John King.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Mitt Romney in San Diego. Consider this plan C.

MITT ROMNEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: You have, as you know, a very unusual way of getting delegates. It's district by district -- Congressional district by Congressional district.

KING: Not the way he envisioned it. Plan A was to sweep Iowa and New Hampshire. Mike Huckabee and John McCain spoiled that.

ROMNEY: Thank you very much.

KING: Plan B counted on Michigan then Florida. Again, it was McCain celebrating. Now, a Plan C with little room for error -- based on a review of the Super Tuesday map, polling and delegate rules.

ROMNEY: We divided the nation in three parts. One are states that we think we have got a very good chance of picking them up, others that are states where it's going to be highly competitive, and then there are others that are real long-shot states.

KING: Authorizing a new ad buy meant digging deeper into his personal fortune. Romney has now poured more than $35 million into his campaign -- a staggering amount and a Democratic punchline.

SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D-IL), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Mitt Romney hasn't gotten a very good return on his invest many during this presidential campaign.

(LAUGHTER)

(APPLAUSE)

KING: There are 21 Super Tuesday GOP contests in all, with 1,020 delegates at stake. Most top Romney advisers believe they need to win 400 of those delegates to remain in serious contention.

The top targets are California, Utah, Colorado, North Dakota, Montana, Alaska, West Virginia, and Massachusetts. Minnesota, Georgia, Tennessee and Illinois are in the Romney second tier. And the message of Plan C -- play the conservative card, suggesting McCain's record on taxes, immigration, campaign financing and other issues is out of the Republican mainstream.

ROMNEY: McCain-Feingold, McCain-Kennedy, McCain-Lieberman are all three liberal efforts.

HUCKABEE: He was very pro-choice, supported strong positions for same-sex relationships, said on television that he would do more for the gay-lesbian agenda than Ted Kennedy. That's pretty bold. He said he was not part of the Reagan revolution.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: And, again, bears pointing out John McCain did receive an endorsement today from "The Los Angeles Times," as, on the Democratic side, they endorsed Barack Obama.

John joins us now and also brings in David Gergen, Amy Holmes, and Donna Brazile.

John, is there anything that John McCain can do at this point to ally conservatives' concerns, besides not accepting, perhaps, the endorsement of "The Los Angeles Times"?

(LAUGHTER)

KING: Well, the liberal -- liberal newspaper endorsements do increase the flak he is taking. But they are starting to work more aggressively, Anderson.

He will attend the Conservative Political Action Committee meeting next week. He snubbed that meeting last week. He himself is making some phone calls, I am told, to some skeptical conservatives around the country. His campaign friends are reaching out.

Rudy Giuliani is helping him, the Ted Olson endorsement, the Steve Forbes endorsement, both men who were supporting Rudy Giuliani. And, so, they are slowly trying to bring the level of conservative criticism down. They know they can't quiet it all, but they're trying to bring it down. And they mostly believe that, if they have another string of victories Tuesday night, what Senator McCain can say, perhaps some of the leaders of conservative groups don't like me, but conservative voters increasingly do.

COOPER: Amy, why is Mike Huckabee defending John McCain so vigorously? I mean, how will -- how much will Huckabee's in this race chip away at Romney's support among conservatives?

HOLMES: Well, there are cynics and wags who would tell you it's because Mike Huckabee wants to be vice president, and he wants to be on John McCain's ticket.

I'm sure Mitt Romney right now is cursing the name Huckabee, because he is eating in, he is cutting into Mitt Romney's support. But, you know, John was mentioning the people that McCain has been trying to reach out to. But, boy, he was sure hurt today by a story that just came out that, in early 2001, he was considering leaving the Republican Party.

This was an old story. It had been in Daschle's book. So, you know, the Washington side of me has to wonder if Mitt Romney has been waiting to unload this right before the weekend and again raise fear, raise doubts and skepticism among conservatives among John McCain's commitment to them.

COOPER: So, David, how -- I mean, it is an interesting dilemma, because, on the one hand, John McCain wants to reach out to moderates, to independents, at the same as try to shore up conservative credentials.

How does he do that with the conservatives and not alienate the moderate Democrats and the independents?

GERGEN: Well, it is an extremely fine line.

But he has to choose a couple issues, Anderson. I think he's done that. He's come at -- he's very -- he's gotten to be very hard- line now on anti -- or a low-tax position. And he was the guy who opposed the Bush tax cuts. But he's gone just the other way now. And he's gone -- he's gone very hard conservative line on Supreme Court justices, in particular, his embrace of Alito, as well as Roberts.

Those are both become -- can both become litmus tests for conservatives. If he's OK on taxes, OK on the court, we may forgive him for the rest.

I actually have to tell you that I think, while he is hearing some -- some opposition from conservatives, it is by no means unanimous. I'm actually impressed that more conservatives are coming his way than the other way around and that he is holding a lot of the grassroots conservatives. So, I -- you know, right at this point, I have to say, I think that Mitt Romney again is slipping back, not forward.

COOPER: Donna, it is remarkable, the money being spent. And we found out Romney spent over $35 million of his own money on advertising through the month of January.

Do we have any sense of what kind of advertising campaign he would need to run leading up to Super Tuesday? I mean, the amount of money these guys is spending is just remarkable.

BRAZILE: Well, you know, unless you have people on the ground that are willing to, you know, go door to door, canvass for you, help to get your votes out, unless there is a groundswell of support for Mitt Romney, I just don't see the math. I don't see how he gains delegates, given the Republicans rules of winner-take-all.

Look, John McCain is a very interesting guy. For many years, Democrats sort of looked at him and say, well, you know, you can talk to him. He is OK. And perhaps that hurt him with Republicans and conservatives.

But the truth is, is that he is authentic, he is bold, he is audacious. And if conservatives, you know, turn their back to John McCain and decide to embrace Huckabee or Romney, they are going to go into the general election very crippled and give Democrats an even larger advantage in beating the Republicans this fall.

COOPER: It's fascinating.

Donna Brazile, Amy Holmes, John King, David Gergen, thanks very much for your expertise. Appreciate it.

GERGEN: Thank you. HOLMES: Thank you.

COOPER: There's a lot more happening around the country and the world tonight.

Erica Hill joins us for that with a 360 bulletin -- Erica.

ERICA HILL, HEADLINE NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Anderson, two explosions in Baghdad rocking the world on several levels tonight. The bombers, the suicide bombers, who killed at least 98 people in a pair of pet markets, we're learning, may not have even known what they were a part of. They were mentally disabled and their explosive cargo was apparently detonated by cell phone. The U.S. is blaming al Qaeda in Iraq.

Chaos in China -- tens of thousands of workers stranded for days by snow, trying desperately to get home to see family. For many, this is their only break of the year for the lunar new year festival. But more bad weather could still cancel that one trip home for many of them.

Massive flight delays here in the U.S., and the worst hit, Chicago's O'Hare, more than 500 flights canceled. The snow managed to peter out around Indianapolis. Much of the Northeast is getting pelted with rain, some of it icy, Anderson.

Be careful out there.

COOPER: All right. Erica, thanks.

Stay right there, because next on 360, going bonkers over Britney High-level discussions, police escorts and spending a lot of taxpayer money to get her help. "What Were They Thinking?" -- coming up.

COOPER: So, you would imagine it deals with something outlandish that she did.

HILL: Right.

COOPER: And, obviously, what she is going through is a terrible thing for her and her family.

It is all about her trip back to the hospital for psychiatric evaluation tonight, but the truly mind-boggling part of it is the elaborate and top-secret plan the LAPD cooked up for the whole journey.

According to "The L.A. Times," it involved dozens of police officers, a special transport team. You see the multiple vehicles there, as well as the motorcycle police.

HILL: Wow.

COOPER: There were multiple contingencies, in case the paparazzi mobbed her house or mobbed her car. A chopper was circling overhead.

The bottom line for it all, about 25,000 taxpayer dollars.

HILL: Wait a minute, 25 grand of taxpayer money?

COOPER: That's right, just to get Britney Spears to the hospital.

And a lot of Angelenos are left wondering, who needs the mental evaluation now?

HILL: Yes.

COOPER: Yes, $25,000, who knew?

Britney -- excuse me. Erica, I almost called you Britney.

HILL: Yes. I'm not Britney.

COOPER: Yes.

HILL: Last time I checked, not even close.

(LAUGHTER)

COOPER: Thank goodness.

Up next...

HILL: But that's all right.

COOPER: Yes, Erica.

(LAUGHTER)

COOPER: Up next: Soledad O'Brien goes one on one with Michelle Obama, an exclusive interview with the woman Senator Obama calls his rock -- next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

H. CLINTON: He has a spouse, too.

(LAUGHTER)

(APPLAUSE)

B. OBAMA: Thankfully, Michelle is not on stage.

(LAUGHTER)

B. OBAMA: I'm sure she could tell some stories, as well.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: Senators Obama and Clinton joking about their better halves at last night's debate.

Now, we have heard a lot from and about Bill Clinton, of course, in recent weeks, but, tonight, the other side in a rare interview with Michelle Obama.

The wife of the presidential candidate spoke today with CNN's Soledad O'Brien. It was an exclusive interview and a revealing one.

Soledad joins us now from Chicago.

Soledad, what was she like?

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Anderson, you know, in a word, she was unflappable, very, very calm.

One of the things she says a lot, one of the phrases is, it just is,. Whether you're asking about the focus that has been on her clothing or her hair or the focus that has been on some of the parts of the campaign, she will say, you know, it is just kind of is what it is. It just is.

And that underscores how calm her demeanor is, and, in some ways, how honestly and forthrightly she come across, even if it's not necessarily a positive spin.

And, so, one of the things we talked about that I thought was interesting was that she makes it very clear, she did not support her husband's presidential ambitions. And she said, you know, this might not be an answer you want to hear, but that it is just honest.

Here's what she said.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: You have talked about politics being Barack's dream, but not your dream.

M. OBAMA: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

O'BRIEN: Are there moments in this campaign -- or have there been moments where you have said, what are we doing here; this is grueling?

M. OBAMA: Oh, yes, yes, no, every day.

(LAUGHTER)

O'BRIEN: Really?

M. OBAMA: Absolutely. You know, I mean, there is nothing rational about politics. And I say this a lot of times in my stump. I say, you know...

O'BRIEN: Kind of a strange position for someone whose husband is running to be president.

M. OBAMA: Right. Right. But it's also honest, I think.

And I think people should understand, not out of a sense of sympathy, but I think the truth is, is that most Americans don't opt into this. And it's not because they don't want to help the country. It's just that this is a pretty taxing way to do it.

But, with that said, I also say, this has been one of the most worthwhile things that I have ever done in my life.

O'BRIEN: What makes it worthwhile?

M. OBAMA: You know, you don't get an opportunity to travel around the country, to go into people's homes, into their communities, into their barbershops and beauty shops, and to talk. That's part of our challenge in this nation, is that we are so isolated from one another. And that isolation just reinforces what we perceive to be divisions.

O'BRIEN: What kind of a role do you think race has played in this race?

M. OBAMA: You know, I think race in always -- still, in this country, it's always on the table.

The fact that we are talking about the possibility of having the first African-American, and that is, for some, so emotional that it brings tears is a statement about how far we have to go in terms of race. So, it is there.

But I'm also amazed at how people are ready to move beyond it. And our time in Iowa, folks didn't shy away from conversations with me because of race, once we got through, and I introduced myself, and I introduced myself not -- not from my race, but from my values and my upbringing. That's what I talked about. I shared my story growing up. I shared the values of my parents, those hardworking folks, and what they were willing to do to sacrifice.

And that's -- that's where the connection -- once those stories were put on the table, all questions of race were -- no one in Iowa ever asked me any questions about, what is it like to be a black woman?

O'BRIEN: President Clinton, who was campaigning actively on behalf of his wife, Senator Clinton, said, people who voted for your husband would be taking a risk. He said it was the equivalent of the role of the dice. He said -- after South Carolina, where your husband won, he said, well, Jesse Jackson won South Carolina twice.

M. OBAMA: Well, you know, that's politics. And I can go through this whole year of what not just President Clinton said but what all the pundits also said. They said, you know, there's no way Barack would raise the money. And that was the test, raising the money.

And so Barack raised money and then money wasn't important. They said he couldn't build the political organization to outmatch the likes of opponents who had been building their organizations for years. He built it. Had one of the best organizations that folks had ever seen in Iowa and New Hampshire and Nevada and South Carolina.

And then that wasn't an issue. That changed. And then he wasn't supposed to win Iowa. Do you remember that? Iowa was the litmus test. So...

O'BRIEN: Is that hurtful, when you hear those things? It's a roll of the dice if your husband wins?

M. OBAMA: What it is...

O'BRIEN: He's a fellow Democrat. I mean, he's not a Republican.

M. OBAMA: It is -- it is politics as a game. It's a sport. And what -- what I get impatient with is politics as a game and a sport. But that's the way it works.

And one of the things that we try to do is stay focused on not doing that. Because if you want to change it, you can't become a part of it. You have to demand that people look beyond the gamesmanship, which I think folks did in South Carolina. It didn't work. People did not respond to that tone of politics, because I think we're at a point where people are tired of that. They're starting to see through it.

If we allow it into our politics, it will happen in our day-to- day lives. I think that's why people are responding to the way Barack is approaching politics to say, look, I'm not going to play those games.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Interesting stuff. Up next, part two of Soledad's exclusive interview with Michelle Obama.

But first, here's tonight's "Beat 360." Picture Senator Obama and Senator Clinton in what some thought was kind of an awkward embrace after last night's debate. Here's the caption from our staff winner, David: "I mean, it, let's move in together and get a lovely little White House, huge front lawn."

Yes, I know. I think he can probably do better. Go to CNN.com/360. Send us your submission. We'll announce the winner at the end of the program.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Partners off and on the campaign trail, Barack and Michelle Obama both trying to make history this year. Michelle Obama just turned 44. Clearly, her husband's closest adviser.

She's also determined to keep her public and family life separate. That, of course, is not easy.

O'BRIEN: ... female executive, which is a tough thing to get to. And then you're going after somebody else's dream.

M. OBAMA: Yes. You know, if I weren't doing anything, I'd have time to think about that and mourn the loss. But you know, we're really kind of busy. I've got a lot on my plate. So I haven't had time to really reflect.

I mean, I miss my colleagues. I miss my work. I enjoyed what I was doing. But this is really pretty significant.

My view of career is that I can always have whatever career I want. That's why I made these choices and worked hard and got my education. I don't question that I can go back to that job or go back to something else interesting.

O'BRIEN: But a lot of times, your career helps define who you are.

M. OBAMA: It doesn't for me. It doesn't for me. I mean, what I do in my life defines me. And a career is one of the many things I do in my life. I mean, how I -- I am a mother first. Where do I get my joy and energy? First and foremost, from my kids.

In the midst of this campaign, what I've done is I don't campaign every day. I'm not gone for weeks on end. I will not go on a trip that will have me away for more than two days. And the campaign has understood that. I'm not going to miss a ballet recital. I'm not going to make them move their world around to accommodate me and Barack. We have to do the accommodating.

O'BRIEN: Do you think about what kind of a first lady you'll be? What would be your focus? What would be the -- things you would take on?

M. OBAMA: I talk -- I talk a lot about work-family balance. I mean, what I found for me is that I am most passionate about the things that I -- that resonate with me personally.

And right now, as a wife and mother and a professional, you know, I'm doing what most women are doing, regardless of their race or their socioeconomic status. I'm juggling and struggling to keep my head above water, because this whole balancing act that is now life of a woman and a family has become more and more impossible.

And that's true for me, who has resources. And if we're struggling, just imagine what's going on with folks who are getting up, working shift jobs where they don't have the flexibility to go see their kids' ballet performances, where they don't get sick days off, where they don't have insurance, they don't have access to quality and affordable childcare.

I mean, women and families are drowning. And I think that what I'd like to do is bring voice to sort of the direction that we need to be going.

O'BRIEN: Will we come out of Super Tuesday knowing who's going to be the Democratic nominee?

M. OBAMA: I think it's going to be close. I think this is going to be a race that will go through to the -- to the end. I believe that Barack is going to do well. And the more that they get to know him, the more that they understand the differences between he and his opponent, the more...

O'BRIEN: Do you get -- do you feel like you get hammered for talking (ph)?

M. OBAMA: You can, you know. If you -- yes, you can. And I don't want that to be the story. You know, I want the story to be, you know, who is Barack and what is his vision? And there's no one else in this race who can bring about a whole different view about who we are as a country and how the world sees us. That's just -- that's just a fact, in my view.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Soledad, do you think that Michelle Obama is also trying to stay above the fray?

O'BRIEN: Absolutely. You saw the tone in the debate last night, where I thought everybody was so civil. They were almost overly civil.

At one point, Michelle and I are talking about the race and some of the difficult things, especially around the South Carolina primaries. And she talked about, well, the other candidate's race. And I said, "Well, there's really only one other candidate. Hillary Clinton." And she said, "I'm not even going to say it. I'm just going to say -- I don't want to get in trouble. I'm just going to say." And, you know, it was interesting, because a lot of what has happened, of course, has been focusing on race. And I thought her take on that was really interesting.

Up next, the group of voters Obama and Clinton are fighting for, especially in California. Who is in the lead? Who knows?

And gas prices through the roof. So are Exxon Mobil's profits. Wait until you hear how much they made. "Keeping Them Honest," coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Four days till Super Tuesday. Success might rest in the Latino neighborhoods of California and the southwest. The candidates of both parties are campaigning hard in those communities, no doubt about it, knowing that the outcome there will be shaped by the nation's largest minority.

More now on the voting power of the Latinos from CNN's Thelma Gutierrez.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

THELMA GUTIERREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Francisco Tellez is a new American citizen. And he'll proudly cast his vote for the first time ever in the Arizona primary. The presidential candidates are fighting hard for his support.

(on camera) Why, because in seven Super Tuesday states, there are more than nine million registered Latino voters, making Latinos a powerful swing vote.

ERICA BERNAL MARTINEZ, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF LATINO ELECTED OFFICIALS: On February 5, whichever candidate manages to capture the majority of Latino voters is well on their way to being the next president of the United States.

BILL CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: They want to hand us...

GUTIERREZ (voice-over): Bill Clinton had overwhelming Latino support in his presidential campaign, while President Bush managed to win 44 percent of that vote in '04.

SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D-IL), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We have to give a pathway to citizenship after they have paid a fine and learned English.

SEN. HILLARY CLINTON (D-NY), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Therefore, what we've got to do is to say come out of the shadows. We will register everyone.

GUTIERREZ: But this time around, with Democrats seen as more lenient on the issue of immigration, polls suggest Latinos may give Republicans the cold shoulder.

H. CLINTON: Thank you all.

GUTIERREZ: This year, the real battle is between Democrats Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. And you can see how it's playing out in California, with the nation's largest Latino electorate.

Thus Clinton getting the coveted United Farm Workers endorsement.

Obama campaigning among Latinos, addressing crowds in east L.A, where Clinton ate a taco.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (speaking Spanish)

H. CLINTON: Good morning. What a wonderful introduction.

GUTIERREZ: Both have appealed to Latinos over the airways. On radio...

B. OBAMA: Welcome. Thank you so much. What a wonderful introduction. Mucho gracias.

GUTIERREZ: And TV.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (speaking Spanish)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (speaking Spanish)

GUTIERREZ: Clinton has volunteers canvassing Latino neighborhoods.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (speaking Spanish)

GUTIERREZ: Obama volunteers have set up a Spanish-language phone bank in Los Angeles.

B. OBAMA: Latino voters know of my commitment to them and the work that I've done for years, then they gravitate toward my candidacy.

GUTIERREZ: But a recent field poll shows Clinton is 40 percentage points ahead of Obama in California among Democratic Latino voters.

BILL SCHNEIDER, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: One of the reasons is competitiveness. These are two groups that have generally been disadvantaged, and they're competitive for jobs. They're competitive for housing. They're competitive for government benefits. They're competitive for resources.

GUTIERREZ: But Erica Bernal Martinez, with the National Association of Latino Elected Officials, disagrees. She believes Hillary has such an overwhelming lead over Obama among Latinos, not because of race but because the Clintons are a known commodity.

MARTINEZ: It's a very provocative thing to talk about this election in terms of race. But I think it's far more important to note the relationship that these candidates have or don't have with the Latino community.

Hillary Clinton benefits from a legacy that her husband held while in the White House that has carried her through.

MAGGIE TELLEZ, VOTER: He thinks that I like Hillary because she's a female.

F. TELLEZ: No.

M. TELLEZ: Sometimes you say that.

F. TELLEZ: No. Don't put words in my mouth. No, no.

GUTIERREZ: Ultimately, the people, not the polls, will determine who wins the Latino vote. And if the Tellez family is any indication, it isn't over yet.

Thelma Gutierrez, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Up next on 360 a verdict in the Wesley Snipes tax fraud case. And Exxon Mobil recording record profits. We're talking tens of billions of dollars. So are they pumping up prices while Americans are struggling to fill their tanks? We're "Keeping Them Honest."

Also ahead tonight, NASA's plan to send this Beatles song into space. An addition of the "What Were They Thinking Segment," when 360 continues.

(MUSIC: "Across the Universe")

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Exxon Mobil shareholders must be loving it. It remains to be seen, though, how this plays with everyone else. The world's largest publicly-traded oil company is making history tonight, posting the highest annual profit ever for an American company: $40.6 billion.

Joe Johns is "Keeping Them Honest" on the connection between those profits and our prices at the pump.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOE JOHNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Exxon rakes in $40.6 billion, the highest annual profit for any American corporation ever. And the company sees that monster payday now, when a lot of people think America's economy is headed into the tank. You can't help but wonder about the connection.

Some senators do. They're asking about the link between oil company profits and household economic woes.

SEN. MARIA CANTWELL (D), WASHINGTON: We are seeing oil prices in recent weeks hovering around $100 a barrel. And natural gas prices remaining at exceeding historic highs, which I think is adding great impact to what Americans are doing in trying deal with this economy.

JOHNS: You can say that again. It's not like Exxon is alone. Big oil in general is fat and happy right now.

ALI VELSHI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Every company that is in the business of getting oil out of the ground or out of the sea and selling it or producing is it seeing these kinds of profits. There's a lot of money to be made because oil is trading at these high levels.

JOHNS: What do the oil companies to have say for themselves? Well, none of them has come out and said greed is good.

Exxon declined an interview with CNN but gave us a statement: "Exxon Mobil's business success benefits millions of Americans who own Exxon Mobil shares or hold them through their pension and mutual funds. And for every dollar we earn, we pay two and a half dollars in taxes, used by governments for schools, roads, hospitals and other essential services."

Plus, industry analysts say it costs money to explore and drill for oil, and it's getting harder and harder to find adequate supplies.

VELSHI: They're selling a product that's in great demand. It's frustrating when you're on the buying side of that equation and you see more and more money going out. But there's absolutely no reason why they would voluntarily not continue to make the money that they can.

JOHNS: so the answer for consumers: live with it.

Joe Johns, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Staying with dollars and cents, let's check back in with Erica Hill for a "360 News and Business Bulletin" -- Erica.

ERICA HILL, HEADLINE NEWS ANCHOR: Anderson, President Bush weighing in today, urging Congress to pass an economic stimulus package. Now, currently, it's stalled in the Senate. The president also calling for a new --all called a new labor report, rather, troubling. That report, of course, revealed employers had (ph) 17,000 jobs last month.

If you're wondering what Microsoft might do with all that cash it has, hey, how about buying Yahoo!? Today, the software giant announcing its $44 billion bid to buy Yahoo!, unsolicited. Market watchers say News Corps, though, could also enter the bidding.

In federal court, a verdict in actor Wesley Snipes's battle with the taxman: found guilty on three counts of failing to file a return, not guilty on the more serious charges of tax fraud and conspiracy.

And NASA getting ready to beam a Beatles tune into deep space. No, not "Tax Man." Not present (ph) tonight. It is appropriately, "Across the Universe" in honor of the 41st anniversary of NASA's Deep Space Network, the 50th anniversary of NASA and the 40th anniversary, Anderson, of the song.

A lot of anniversaries there.

COOPER: Yes, wow.

HILL: I didn't realize, really, any of those were coming up. But I'm glad I know now.

COOPER: Me, too.

Time now for "Beat 360," where we put a picture up, ask people to come up with a caption that's better than ours. And we cue the cheesy music.

Tonight's photo deals with politics. More than eight million people saw this picture last night at the end of the Democratic debate. Here's the caption from our staff winner, David: "I mean it, let's move in together and get a lovely little White House, huge front lawn..."

HILL: I think it's good.

COOPER: It's all right.

Tonight's winning viewer, Cathy, in an undisclosed location, came up with this: "You let me lead. I've been 'dancing' longer than you."

The serious factor again coming into play. Yes.

Check out all the other suggested captions at CNN.com/360. They were great today. I'm just going to say that. Of course, I didn't even try to submit, so...

HILL: I was going to say, I didn't see yours in all the others...

COOPER: You got to be in it to win it.

HILL: I didn't -- I didn't submit one either today.

COOPER: You can't criticize unless you play.

HILL: It's true.

COOPER: So I should just shut my mouth.

Feel free to plug in (ph) whenever you come up with a good one- liner of your own, of course.

Erica, stay right there. "sThe Shot of the Day" is coming up next. Yee-haw! It's a cowboy monkey. That's right. Look at him go. How can you not love a monkey on a dog?

HILL: Does that count as dramatic animal video?

COOPER: I don't know what it is. But it -- it's just gosh darn, good, clean fun.

HILL: Whacky.

COOPER: Yes. When 360 continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Erica, time for "The Shot," some dramatic animal video.

HILL: It's been too long.

COOPER: It's -- it's Whiplash the monkey. The rodeo rock star's wowing crowds across the country. This is Whiplash in Ft. Worth, Texas yesterday. Instead of a horse, he rides a dog. I'm not sure why. I'm not sure if he even likes it, frankly.

HILL: I wonder if the dog likes it.

COOPER: It could be worse. He could be on roller skates, smoking a guitar.

He's a shameless self-promoter. He has his own Web site. He has sponsors, probably an agent. No doubt he'll be in Nashville next week.

PETA members, please do not take this out on me. Send your e- mails to Erica Hill.

HILL: No. Send them to Britney.

But you know, I like your monkey, but I will see your "Shot."

COOPER: You like it? Thank you.

HILL: And I will raise you.

COOPER: I'll take that as a compliment. OK. HILL: Yes. Here's my "Shot," involving you. This morning, I turn on the TV. I didn't even realize you were in for Reeg today. Nor did I know, Anderson, you were such a pro in the kitchen.

No, no, I don't need the grooves. I can mix that turkey meat loaf with my hands. There you go.

COOPER: Yes.

HILL: You did a fine job this morning. No, it doesn't end there. We have more shots. There you go. Really get it all well mixed. That's the key. It's the key to a good meat loaf, I find, at my house anyway.

COOPER: Yes. The meat loaf was delicious from this guy. Yes.

HILL: It looks pretty good. I was impressed. I mean, I think some of these TV chefs should watch out. If this CNN gig doesn't work out, did you ever think about the Food Network?

COOPER: Yes, I know. Well, they asked me to put on gloves. I don't know. It just seemed bizarre to put on plastic gloves. But then, of course, my hands smell like meatloaf today.

HILL: Yes. And the onion smell really never -- never goes away, with the garlic. Do you know what works well for that? Lemons. Lemons.

COOPER: I'm not too good in the kitchen, as you can tell.

HILL: But the flip is good.

COOPER: Yes.

HILL: There we go. Look. Not that many fell out. I think that's better than I would do.

COOPER: The guy was like who are you? Where's Regis?

HILL: Where's Reeg? Where's Reeg?

COOPER: All right. I think we've seen enough. More than enough. Painful.

I appreciated them letting me try.

If you see some remarkable video, you see some foolish people trying to do a cooking segment, tell us about it: CNN.com/360. You can see all the most recent "Shots" there. You can see other segments from the program. You can read the blog. You can get all our recipes, and you can check out the "Beat 360" picture. Again, the address: CNN.com/360.

Up next, four days until Super Tuesday and the candidates are crossing the country, courting your vote. We're on the trail. And we have an exclusive interview with a woman who could become next first lady. Up close tonight with Michelle Obama when 360 continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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